Hong Kong Free Press Annual Report: Our achievements, best coverage, & accounts from the past year
Hong Kong Free Press
Dear readers and supporters,
Despite an ever-tightening situation for press freedom, Hong Kong Free Press persevered in 2023, bolstering our ethics code and winning several awards and credibility hallmarks. Plus, we completed our expansion – our team of nine experienced journalists now includes a dedicated editor, photojournalist and social media/production manager, providing more capacity for original, award-winning reporting.
We published a podcast – HKFP Yum Cha – for the first time, delivered workshops at schools and conferences, and joined the Society of Publishers in Asia and the International Press Institute (pg.10). HKFP also spent the year disclosing and expanding our policies, standards and reporting guidelines in order to gain the Trust Project hallmark in December. The world’s first global transparency standard proves a news outlet’s commitment to original reporting, accuracy, inclusion, and fairness.
Meanwhile, we reported on an unprecedented year for the city, with a record-low turnout at the newly-restricted local elections, and the authorities putting HK$1 million bounties on the heads of self-exiled activists whilst pressuring their families back home. Our team also covered the withdrawal of pandemic restrictions, the continuing security law crackdown, the trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the closing arguments in the 47 democrats and Stand News cases.
HKFP is the city’s most transparent news outlet and – with our impartial stance and balanced coverage – we will continue to occupy the remaining space for press freedom in 2024. With more outlets shuttered, and the spectre of Article 23 – the city’s homegrown security law – looming, it will likely be another bumpy ride, but our newsroom still has breathing room to report freely on any local, hard news story. We remain dedicated to Hong Kong as we are still able to speak to sources on-the-ground and exercise privileges lost in mainland China: bearing witness in court and at the legislature, and asking tough, direct questions of officials.
I am happy to present our Annual Report, as we round-up our best coverage, achievements, and accounts from the past 12 months – all made possible by HKFP Patrons. The price of a weekly coffee, the equivalent of an hour’s work per month, or whatever you can afford, will help us keep the lights on and return to sustainability over the coming year. And for those of you who are already HKFP Patrons, thank you for your kind support, and for helping keep independent media alive in Hong Kong.
Mission and impact:
Founded in 2015, Hong Kong Free Press is an impartial, non-profit, award-winning English-language newspaper. Run by journalists, backed by readers and completely independent, HKFP is governed by a public code of ethics.
The Best of HKFP 2023:
Original features: In 2023, the government completed an overhaul of its electoral systems, bringing local councils in line with Beijing-decreed changes to ensure only pre-approved “patriots” could run as district representatives. We spoke to local councillors dismayed by the decision, went out with candidates ahead of the opposition-free election, and heard from voters who said they had “lost interest” in the process, which saw a record-low turnout of 27.5 per cent.
We also explored how the narrative surrounding the District Council changed from 2019, when the pro-democracy camp’s landslide victory was accepted by the government, to 2023, when officials claimed the local bodies had been influenced by “independence elements.”
Despite the transformations to Hong Kong’s governance being touted as “improvements,” marginalised groups told us how they felt left behind by Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” legislature. Additionally, analysis showed that government spending had faced less scrutiny since the opposition was shut out.
Former Liberal Studies teachers warned that critical thinking had been removed from the curriculum, as the final exams for the short-lived subject were held. And as books disappeared from Hong Kong’s public libraries, we examined some of the titles considered too sensitive for general consumption, and met those committed to keeping track of the “vanished” volumes.
But books were not the only thing to disappear in 2023. We bade farewell to Sham Shui Po’s beloved fabric market, saw countless neon signs being switched off, and documented how Tsim Sha Tsui’s street photographers fell foul of new licensing regulations.
It was also in early 2023 that Hong Kong finally said goodbye to the last of its Covid-related restrictions. We explored how children may struggle to face the world after three years of mask wearing, the pandemic’s lasting impact on the city’s migrant domestic workers, and the first Ramadan since limits on the number of people who could gather were lifted.
Then, when Mpox entered Hong Kong, we heard from one patient how little the city had learned from previous unpopular forced isolation programmes.
The end of Covid curbs heralded the return of tourists, most notably those from mainland China. However, we discovered that visitors in 2023 seemed more interested in taking snaps for social media than spending money, and long-haul arrivals were few and far between. We looked into a scarcity of pilots and low morale at the city’s flagship airline, which exacerbated the matter, and investigated how, despite government efforts, Hong Kong’s evening economy had taken a hit.
HKFP was proud to continue its partnership with The Guardian in 2023, collaborating with the British broadsheet in covering the opposition-free local elections, and the landmark security law trial of Jimmy Lai. We also produced a multimedia feature about the city’s fading neon heritage.
We explored how a similar economic slowdown north of the border had resulted in queues outside Hong Kong banks as mainland Chinese sought higher interest rates and security for their savings. And we spoke to restaurateurs from mainland China who increasingly saw Hong Kong as a “stepping stone” to overseas success, as US-headquartered advisory firms in China were raided and on the receiving end of law-enforcement action.
In Hong Kong, which has a proudly low violent crime rate, high-profile murders grabbed international headlines and shone a spotlight on gender and mental health issues. We explored how women were treated by local media, and why so many reports relied on gore, inaccuracies and sensationalism. We also heard from mental health practitioners, who said staff shortages at public psychiatric facilities failed patients.
Also in the news was Hong Kong’s falling fertility rate and official efforts to boost babymaking. But young couples told us it would take more than a HK$20,000 handout to convince them to have kids. Others simply said they did not want to raise their children in the city, and were thinking of starting a family overseas.
As LGBTQ rights prevailed in court, we looked at how one landmark ruling in favour of transgender individuals had in fact seen some applications to change gender markers on identity cards suspended. We also spoke to several people who had survived conversion therapy programmes run by government-backed groups.
As extreme weather set dubious new records for the city, we heard from climate experts, who warned that such events would become “normal,” while outdoor workers most at risk from rising temperatures told us why a new heat stroke warning system was unlikely to protect them.
We also turned to photography to tell stories in 2023, following Hong Kong’s underground idols as they strove for recognition on the fringes of a subculture, spending time at a stray animal shelter, and turning the lens on the hostile architecture designed to keep homelessness off the streets.
Further afield, we shone the spotlight on Hong Kong journalists documenting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and looked at the ways Taiwan was seeking to come to terms with its painful past under martial law.
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Explanatory reporting: We continued our monthly explainers on the impact of Beijing’s national security legislation on the city, and looked in-depth into how the first three years of the law had changed Hong Kong in a two-part piece. A second two-parter published to mark the third anniversary of the legislation explored new legal precedents set under it, from non-jury trials to whether overseas lawyers can participate in national security cases.
We explained Beijing’s first interpretation of the law, which addressed that very question, examined what redacted police reports revealed about official views on the Tiananmen crackdown, and asked if it was legal for Hongkongers to publicly commemorate those who died during the crackdown in 1989.
Chief Executive John Lee’s first year in office was reviewed, as was the issue of “soft resistance” – a vague term adopted by authorities and cited with increasing frequency as a threat to national security. And with Hong Kong’s own security law, Article 23, back in the spotlight, we looked at why it failed in 2003 and what we can expect as it is resurrected.
We also explored how, and why, the government was seeking to ban protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong, and published explainers on the District Council electoral overhaul, including how the changes gave new powers to three government-appointed committees.
As one of the city’s last political cartoons was pulled from the pages of Ming Pao, we looked at where the city’s satirists had gone, and with the dissolution of the pro-democracy Civic Party, we looked back over its history.
When Hong Kong became the first Asian city to host the Gay Games, we asked why the inclusive sporting event had attracted such controversy, and rounded-up the legal rulings that have shaped LGBTQ rights in Hong Kong.
Interviews: In 2023, we spoke to Hongkongers who were dedicated to making a difference in their city, from journalist Bao Choy, whose conviction for making false statements linked to a documentary she made about a mob attack in Yuen Long in 2019 was quashed in June, to transgender rights activist Henry Tse, who fought for the right to be recognised as a man without undergoing full surgery – and won.
We interviewed several creatives for whom sustainability was central to their work, including designers Niko Leung, who makes ceramics from Hong Kong construction waste, and Toby Crispy, who is fighting fast fashion and the waste it produces with her “slow stitch” initiative.
We also discussed Hong Kong’s changing media landscape with journalism professor Francis Lee, and caught up with Jon Chiu, the creator of a font designed to help people learn Cantonese.
And ahead of the second Clockenflap music festival of the year, we caught up with Taiwan-based Running Youth, who were making their hometown debut, post-punk duo Gong Gong Gong, and local band Bad Math on making melancholy music to dance to.
Scoops: We revealed that National Day displays of patriotism across the city had cost the government more than HK$31 million. And we broke the news of Clockenflap’s takeover by music concert multinational Live Nation through an exclusive interview with two of the festivals’ founders.
We also dug into the data surrounding District Council candidates, and discovered that 75 per cent of them were on the committees responsible for nominating who could run, and exposed how Beijing had brought in new rules for consulates in Hong Kong, demanding that the job titles, residential addresses and identification details of all locally-employed staff be provided.
Podcast: HKFP launched its first podcast in 2023, hosted by Associate Editor Mercedes Hutton.
HKFP Yum Cha invited a different guest to us each week to discuss their area of expertise, be that fighting for democracy, researching Hong Kong’s history, promoting mental health care, or trying to keep the city’s neon craft alive. Listen on all major podcast platforms…
Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon Music | Pandora | RSS
Awards
A Hong Kong Free Press opinion piece won an honourable mention at the prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia Awards in June. Yuen Chan’s op-ed about media freedom competed in the Excellence in Opinion Writing: Regional category.
Published on Press Freedom Day the previous year, Chan’s opinion piece argued that alarm over the “death” of press freedom in the city was premature: “Despite the closures, the arrests, the smears, the sad and reluctant departure of their peers, there are journalists who simply continue to do their jobs,” Chan wrote. “When big gestures become foolhardy, dangerous or impossible, small acts of solidarity with those quietly toiling at the coalface become more important than ever.”
HKFP also won an honourable mention for photography at Asia’s 2023 Human Rights Press Awards, held in the US in May.
A shot by Britt Clennett, which shows a worker rolling up a “Hong Kong Asia’s World City” banner as police officers pass by, won a prize in the Single Image category. “These awards recognise the journalists who are shedding light on some of the most critical issues of our time in Asia,” said executive director of Human Rights Watch Tirana Hassan.
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| Year | Award | Title | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Human Rights Press Awards: University English language writing | Sexual harassment at Hong Kong’s universities – rarely reported, but not rare | Merit |
| 2019 | Human Rights Press Awards: Student Video & Audio (English) | ‘I am prepared to be imprisoned’ – Chinese human rights lawyer Lin Qilei | Winner |
| 2020 | Index on Censorship’s 2020 Freedom of Expression Award | Hong Kong Free Press shortlisted | Finalist |
| 2020 | SOPA: Excellence in Photography (Regional) | Shots of the 2019 Hong Kong protest movement | Finalist |
| 2020 | SOPA: Excellence in Explanatory Reporting (Regional) | Hong Kong’s new methodology of protest, explained | Honourable mention |
| 2021 | Nobel Peace Prize | Hong Kong Free Press nominated | Nominated |
| 2021 | SOPA: Excellence in Opinion Writing (Regional) | Hong Kong’s protest movement in perspective | Honourable mention |
| 2023 | SOPA: Excellence in Opinion Writing (Regional) | Press Freedom Day: As long as there are journalists in Hong Kong, there will be journalism | Honourable mention |
| 2023 | Human Rights Press Awards: Single Image | Rolling up ‘Asia’s World City’ | Merit |
2023 Ethics Revamp
Hong Kong Free Press is proud to have gained the Trust Project hallmark following a rigorous, months long vetting process. The global transparency standard that proves a news outlet’s commitment to original reporting, accuracy, inclusion, and fairness.
Throughout 2023, HKFP publicly disclosed and expanded its ethical policies, standards, reporting and corrections guidelines to adhere to the eight Trust Indicators. The move sought to improve media literacy and battle “fake news,” misinformation and online propaganda.
We joined around 300 newsrooms across the world displaying the Trust Mark symbol, including the BBC, Washington Post, Sky News, CTV and the Economist.
First adopted in March 2020, our newly-revamped guidelines lay out HKFP’s mission, our priorities, our expectations for staff conduct and impartiality, as well as how we deal with issues such as AI, advertising, anonymity, balance, security, sourcing and issues of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and identity.
Our Policies, Ethics and Best Practices guidelines are living document. In an ever-changing city, with the space for press freedom and trust in media in decline, we will continue to evolve – and disclose – our professional practices and guiding principles.
The 9 Trust Project Indicators:
1. Best Practices – who is behind the news?
If a journalist’s organization has rules they must follow to make sure their reporting is independent, accurate and honest, then their news will be more trustworthy.
2. Journalist Expertise – who made this?
We are rarely there to see events in the news for ourselves, so we rely on the journalist. They should follow strict standards for gathering solid evidence and multiple perspectives.
3. Labels – news, opinion, or what?
It’s important to know whether your news is impartial or deliberately biased. Stories should be clearly labelled if they are designed to persuade us to agree. If it’s journalism, then it’s meant to help us develop our own opinions.
4. References – what are the sources?
When a journalist is developing a news story, they may use information from eye witnesses, documents and other places – called sources. When a journalist shows their sources, we can check their reliability for ourselves.
5. Methods – why was it built?
If we know why a journalist chose a particular story and how they reported it, it’s easier to interpret it. A journalist’s methods help us know how fast-moving, well-researched or impartial the story may be.
6. Locally sourced – do they know you and your community?
If a journalist knows and lives in the community, they can explain an event or issue more sensitively and accurately. If not, they can improve their reporting by going there and speaking to others who have local and community knowledge.
7. Diverse voices – who is in the news, who is missing?
If certain voices or experiences are missing from the news, we don’t get the full picture. Look for voices less commonly heard in society, often because of race, class, generation, gender, sexual orientation, ideology or the region they live in.
8. Actionable feedback – does this news site listen to me?
By inviting and listening to public feedback, journalists can make sure their work is accurate and complete. The public also might help them find important news they had overlooked.
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An Ethics Code, fact-checking procedures and a corrections policy govern HKFP’s impartial, 100% independent reporting. In 2022, we again scored full marks in NewsGuard’s credibility assessment, meeting all 9 criteria.
In 2023, HKFP also joined the International Press Institute – a 73-year-old global organisation dedicated to the protection of press freedom and improvement of journalistic practices.
HKFP also joined the Society of Publishers in Asia – the only English-language Hong Kong outlet among its ranks. SOPA was founded in 1982 to “champion freedom of the press, promote excellence in journalism and endorse best practices for publishers…”
2023 Achievements
HKFP completes expansion: Our team of nine experienced journalists now includes a dedicated editor, photojournalist and social media manager, providing more capacity for original, award-winning reporting. The investments were made possible by HKFP’s monthly Patrons, who provide regular, sustained support to protect our independence and press freedom.
The latest recruits to take their seats at our new Kennedy Town newsroom were: award-winning journalist Irene Chan; Hans Tse, who has an academic research background; and James Lee, who joined us from The Standard. Together, they formed our new, frontline reporting team, along with Social Media and Production Manager Shan Chan who brought both a journalistic and marketing background to the team.
Ethics and media literacy: We bolstered our ethical guidelines and standards by joining The Trust Project in 2023. HKFP produced three new “behind the scenes” videos in an effort to improve media literacy and demystify how independent newsrooms operate.
Conferences and events: Our senior team were invited to speak at Splice Beta 2023 in Thailand in November – a digital media conference for small Asian news outlets. We shared what we had learned about media funding over eight years of operations, later repeating the workshop for the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the local Culture And Education Foundation Conference.
With Covid restrictions lifted, we also began to host students at our office once again, as well as reach out to the community by delivering workshops in local schools.
New income streams: HKFP signed up with Moody’s, Newsbank and Opera News to resyndicate its news articles on a paid basis. We began to accept Octopus payments for the first time, and we also joined Patreon, enabling more readers to support us.
Football team: Fall River Marksmen Football Club in Massachusetts continued its ‘reverse sponsorship’ deal with HKFP, emblazoning our logo on their kit and selling them to raise funds for our newsroom back in Hong Kong.
New channel and apps: HKFP updated and redesigned its mobile apps twice in 2023, ahead of a 2024 relaunch. And we are now reaching readers via a new Whatsapp channel.
Impact & Positioning
Trusted worldwide: HKFP’s reporting has been cited by numerous int’l outlets.
No paywall: We will always ensure our news remains accessible & free of charge.
Hong Kong’s 2024 media landscape:
Staff & Structure
Hong Kong Free Press would be impossible without the support and assistance of our countless tech, editorial, accounting, freelance staff and volunteers, as well as Newspack and The Hive.
Transparency Report
As Hong Kong’s most transparent news outlet, HKFP is externally audited annually, sharing all of our accounts online. With have no shareholders, and we do not answer to any business tycoon, mainland conglomerate or media mogul. HKFP is run by journalists and is a non-profit – we are answerable only to ourselves and our readers, and our newsroom relies on small donations from almost 1,000 readers.
In 2023, costs rose as we completed our expansion, whilst income fell amid waning interest in Hong Kong news and a population exodus. We invite our readers and supporters to examine our income and spending over the past year, as we look to return to sustainability in 2024. Check out our full Annual Report here.
HKFP Income 2016-2023
Our finalised, externally audited income up to 2022, and our predicted income for 2023:
| Income | 2023* | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct contributions | HK$3,618,236.94 | HK$3,587,606 | HK$4,497,890 | HK$6,357,972 | HK$6,056,859 | HK$2,463,408 | HK$1,769,760 | HK$1,063,125 |
| Ads & content sales | HK$233,699.46 | HK$418,957 | HK$143,695 | HK$110,247 | HK$271,066 | HK$136,084 | HK$328,759 | HK$92,276 |
| Events | HK$0 | HK$0 | HK$0 | HK$0 | HK$263,361 | HK$24,390 | HK$0 | HK$8,352 |
| Bank interest, insurance claim, exchange gain | TBC | HK$6,516 | HK$3,945 | HK$10 | HK$226 | HK$21 | HK$1 | HK$12 |
| Gov’t Covid subsidy | HK$0 | HK$96,000 | HK$0 | HK$216,000 | HK$0 | HK$0 | HK$0 | HK$0 |
| Total: | HK$3,844,936.40 | HK$4,109,079 | HK$4,645,530 | HK$6,697,010 | HK$6,591,512 | HK$2,623,903 | HK$2,098,520 | HK$1,163,765 |
Current Revenue Streams:
Direct contributions: includes one-off & monthly Patron contributions by cheque/transfer, cash, PayPal & Stripe credit/debit card (inc. Apple Pay & Google Pay), PayMe, Octopus, CoinDragon, Tap & Go, as well as merch sales profit & shopping referral links.
Ads and content sales: includes ad income from display ads; Apple News & Facebook ads, Google/YouTube ads, directly purchased rate card ads & content sales [from media outlets, institutions and syndication partners LexisNexis, Opera News, Moody’s, NewsBank, ProQuest, Dow Jones Factiva & Nordot etc…]
⚠️ HKFP is predicted to make a record loss of HK$1.4m in 2023. Although we are able to reinvest our previous surplus, we will need to return to sustainability and halt the fall in HKFP Patrons in 2024.
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
- 💰 Reader supported: 94% of HKFP’s income comes directly from our readers, assuring our press freedom and independence.
- ♻️ Surplus recycled: As a non-profit, with no shareholders, investors or umbrella company overseeing it, any surplus is recycled back into the HKFP newsroom for future use.
- 🔒 Future security: As of 2021, HKFP LTD is obliged to retain a HK$1.5m legal defence fund in light of new challenges to press freedom, in addition to an emergency fund of HK$1m.
- 💡Efficiency: HKFP is run as efficiently and prudently as possible, in order to maximise the impact of our donors’ generosity. We make savings by partnering with other media outlets, using free software/tools and making full use of teamwork and automation.
- 📝To view our full audits, click here.
HKFP Spending 2016-2023
Finalised expenditure for our latest audited year, 2022, & our predicted 2023 spending:
| Expenditure | 2023* | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time staff payroll | HK$4,072,093 | HK$3,624,759 | HK$1,952,853 | HK$1.599m | HK$1.606m | HK$1.49m | HK$1.340m | HK$1.035m |
| Mandatory Provident Fund (pensions) | HK$151,150 | HK$137,960 | HK$76,662 | HK$72,221 | HK$68,123 | HK$69,234 | HK$66,180 | HK$50,942 |
| Web & software, newswire, commission | HK$213,998 | HK$227,068 | HK$138,532 | HK$132,269 | HK$129,543 | HK$58,693 | HK$33,083 | |
| Office, sundry, recruitment/training, telecom | HK$380,306 | HK$447,234 | HK$273,244 | HK$109,289 | HK$164,256 | HK$110,414 | HK$57,565 | HK$25,801 |
| Meals/drinks for volunteers/staff/sources | HK$41,540 | HK$20,506 | HK$25,178 | HK$18,324 | HK$29,686 | HK$14,028 | HK$17,106 | HK$25,531 |
| Legal, professional, registration, audit | HK$2,239 | HK$114,143 | HK$37,365 | HK$96,505 | HK$12,340 | HK$7,385 | HK$45,231 | HK$10,845 |
| Travel & insurance | HK$153,427 | HK$174,445 | HK$67,513 | HK$72,391 | HK$50,615 | HK$78,067 | HK$8,169 | HK$8,267 |
| Stationery, merch, postage, printing | HK$65,233 | HK$44,240 | HK$207,392 | HK$208,544 | HK$42,311 | HK$11,827 | HK$686 | HK$17,124 |
| Bank charges, penalties & exchange losses | HK$1,533 | HK$2,155 | HK$4,232 | HK$13,752 | HK$4,240 | HK$1,705 | HK$1,170 | HK$2,218 |
| Freelancer payments & gear | HK$152,779 | HK$246,454 | HK$936,072 | HK$595,693 | HK$289,387 | HK$64,400 | HK$34,090 | HK$0 |
| Tax | TBC | TBC | HK$59,518 | HK$408,496 | HK$509,211 | HK$29,816 | HK$13,343 | HK$0 |
| Advertising | HK$38,127 | HK$37,527 | HK$78,745 | HK$6,914 | HK$36,597 | HK$34,371 | HK$10,261 | HK$0 |
| Membership, research/polls, repairs & other | HK$11,600 | HK$2,778 | HK$5,060 | HK$118,800 | – | – | – | – |
| Total: | HK$5,284,025 | HK$5,079,269 | HK$3.74m | HK$3.04m | HK$2.89m* | HK$2.04m | HK$1.65m | HK$1.20m |
💼 Investing in people: HKFP competes with international media when it comes to staff pay and conditions. We are proud to set – or exceed – industry standards in order to foster talent and retain staff in an increasingly tough environment. 80% of HKFP’s spending goes towards staff remuneration and pensions. When you support HKFP, you can be assured that your contribution is going directly towards local journalists – not to shareholders or a profit-making conglomerate.
Staff benefits include: ✓ Clear payscale and annual appraisal. ✓ Up to 23 days annual leave. ✓ 4 months maternity, 3 months paternity leave. ✓ Healthcare, dental and physio coverage. ✓ Mental health support options. ✓ Secure laptop and phone. ✓ Monthly travel allowance. ✓ Hong Kong Journalists Association membership. ✓ Remote working benefits.
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
HKFP Patrons in 2023:
HKFP relies on a membership model. Small amounts of income from a large pool of Patrons help support our team, sustain our operations, and guarantee our newsroom’s independence and longevity. Our monthly income as of January 2024:
- 895 – Number of monthly Patrons.
- HK$182,551 – Monthly income from Patrons (before fees.)
- HK$203 – Average monthly Patron contribution.
- ⚠️ Our number of patrons declined by 8% in 2023, whilst the average monthly contribution rose by 5%.
- 💰66% of monthly contributors donate via credit/debit card (Stripe,) whilst the rest use PayPal.
- 📝 Figures exclude those who contribute by cheque/bank transfer.
- 💡 HKFP Patrons are given priority and/or free entry to HKFP events, merch and our Annual Report, and help keep the site free-to-access for those who cannot afford to contribute.
Press Freedom in 2023
January 2023
- Defunct independent Hong Kong news outlet Citizen News removed all of the content from its website and social media platforms, as the online publication marked a year since it ceased operations.
- Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao was criticised by one of the city’s top officials over a comic strip about Beijing’s recent interpretation of the national security law.
- Hong Kong broadcaster TVB dropped all BBC channels from its streaming service.
- Britain will stand up to “Chinese aggression” and defend Hong Kong’s freedoms, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed after his government intervened in the case of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
- A committee on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong urged the city’s government to change the law as quickly as possible so it can ban a British lawyer from representing former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai at his security trial.
- Hong Kong’s Immigration Department barred freelance photographer Michiko Kiseki from the city last month.
- The local legal team representing jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai in his high-profile national security trial said it was not “professionally associated” with an international group of lawyers who reportedly met with a UK minister over Lai’s case.
- Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said there were people using journalism as a cover to pursue political aims, personal benefit, or “launder money” in the city.
- Hong Kong’s top court allowed journalist Bao Choy to appeal her conviction over accessing car licence information for an investigative documentary about a mob attack in Yuen Long in July 2019.
- The government watchdog rejected a complaint filed by HKFP related to the authorities’ refusal to disclose its media invite list for Chief Executive John Lee’s inauguration last July 1.
- Chen Zhiming, chief editor of Hong Kong magazine Exclusive Character, was reportedly missing in mainland China for over four months.
- A Hong Kong reporter who was allegedly shot at with a police projectile during a protest in 2019 expressed disappointment that his complaint was rejected.
- The sedition trial against two ex-chief editors of defunct media outlet Stand News continued, as the court heard testimony from one of the defendants, former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen.
February 2023
- Monitoring the authorities is the duty of the media, pro-establishment newspaper Oriental Daily said in an editorial after it was criticised by the police for a video commentary on the force’s performance.
- Hong Kong journalist Bao Choy vowed to “monitor the rich and powerful” and “seek truth” with her newly launched media outlet The Collective HK.
- Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai asked the High Court to prevent Beijing’s recent interpretation of the national security law from affecting an earlier ruling that allowed him to be represented by a UK lawyer at his upcoming trial.
- Chinese activists – including dissident artist Badiucao – were approached by social media users falsely claiming to be journalists from Reuters, the news agency reported on Tuesday.
- The trial against two former Stand News top editors charged under the colonial-era sedition law continued as the prosecution carried on the cross-examination of Chung Pui-kuen, ex-editor-in-chief.
- The Hong Kong government submitted a proposal to introduce legislative amendments which would require local courts to obtain a certificate from the city’s leader before considering whether to allow foreign counsels to act in national security cases.
March 2023
- Coconuts wound down its Hong Kong news site, citing commercial and journalistic challenges. The announcement came days after a new general manager took over the publishing group.
- The founder of an independent Hong Kong news publication and two others pleaded guilty to selling a “seditious” book at a Lunar New Year fair.
- HKJA called on the police to “maintain professionalism” while on duty, after a journalist was reportedly pushed by an officer while filming outside a courthouse.
- HKJA condemned the harassment and surveillance of local journalists, after an HKFP court reporter was followed from her home to her workplace for over an hour by two men with earpieces.
- HKJA said it received several recent reports of journalists being tailed, as police slammed the group over “unverified speculations” that those following journalists were suspected of being members of law enforcement.
- Two ex-Stand News editors charged under the colonial-era sedition law continued to stand trial.
April 2023
- Hong Kong’s security chief criticised Ming Pao over a “misleading” comic strip about the government’s plan to spend HK$5.2 billion on a new communications system.
- Chung Pui-kuen, former top Stand News editor, completed his testimony in his sedition trial as the case was adjourned to June for closing arguments.
- Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee refused to comment on reports received by the city’s largest press group that reporters had been followed by unknown men.
- Hong Kong journalists who have emigrated faced a number of difficulties when trying to start their careers in media overseas, according to a report published by an overseas journalists’ body.
- Social media platform Twitter slapped Hong Kong’s government-backed broadcaster RTHK with a “state-affiliated media” label.
- RTHK said it will “follow up” with Twitter, after the social media platform added a “state-affiliated media” label to the outlet’s official account.
- Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai filed a legal bid against the government decision to reject any further work visa applications from an overseas counsel he had hired for his national security case.
- Hong Kong’s pensions fund authority demanded that American newspaper The Wall Street Journal retract “misinformation” in an op-ed about holders of British National Overseas passports’ access to their pensions.
- The Hong Kong government barred several government-registered media outlets from covering a National Security Education Day event, ignoring emails and evading questions by phone when challenged as to why.
- The son and overseas lawyers of Jimmy Lai urged the United Nations to condemn the prosecution on “trumped-up” charges of the pro-democracy media tycoon, sparking criticism of them from the Hong Kong government.
- “The media landscape in Hong Kong has been as vibrant as ever” following the implementation of the national security law, the government said in a criticism of a UK all-party parliamentary group report.
May 2023
- The government watchdog agreed to investigate HKFP’s complaint against the Information Services Department over their handling of a press event which saw several government-registered outlets barred from attendance without explanation.
- Blocking pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s overseas counsel from representing him in his national security trial is “persecution not prosecution,” his lawyer said in an application to halt the trial.
- Chief Executive John Lee told a reporter that the pro-democracy demonstrations and unrest of 2019 should be referred to as the “black violence,” not “protests.”
- Hong Kong ranked 140th among the 180 regions at the Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking released on World Press Freedom Day.
- Hong Kong journalist Bao Choy appealed to the city’s top court against her conviction linked to checking vehicle registration records for a documentary about the Yuen Long attacks in 2019.
- Hong Kong transport news site Transit Jam ceased operations, its owner announced, making it the latest outlet to disappear in the wake of the security law. The closure came days after its founder was targeted in the state-run press.
- After 40 years, Hong Kong’s most prominent political cartoonist Zunzi had his comic strip suspended after a satirical post was criticised by government bodies.
- Hong Kong’s security minister hit back at the journalists’ association after it said the suspension of a long-standing political cartoon strip following repeated government complaints showed that the city “could not tolerate critical voices.”
- Books by satirical cartoonist Zunzi disappeared from Hong Kong public library listings, after his comic strip was axed by newspaper Ming Pao on Wednesday following criticism from an official.
- The defence questioned whether an exchange between the head of Hong Kong’s largest journalists’ group Ronson Chan and a plainclothes police officer could have happened as described, as the trial against Chan began.
- Over 100 international media leaders around the world expressed support for detained Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong in a joint statement on Tuesday organised by Reporters Without Borders.
- The head of Hong Kong’s largest journalists’ group said he feared a privacy breach when he was asked to show his identity card by a plainclothes officer, a court heard.
- Hong Kong’s Court of First Instance rejected attempts by pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to challenge a decision made by Hong Kong’s national security committee relating to the admission of an overseas lawyer for his trial.
- A lifestyle editor who was not from a traditional news correspondent background was elected as president of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club, after he ran unopposed in the leadership race.
- Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club raised concerns after the government inexplicably barred several media outlets from a National Security Education Day event on April 15. It was their first press freedom statement of 2013.
- Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s bid to halt the national security trial against him was rejected by the city’s Court of First Instance.
- Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club devised a set of guidelines for releasing statements on press freedom issues, which includes seeking legal advice and contacting government departments ahead of publishing.
- Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is expected to face an 83-day national security trial, a court heard.
June 2023
- A Hong Kong press group urged the city’s police to provide an explanation after its former chairperson was led away by officers while she was reporting on the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown.
- The Hong Kong government condemned US politicians’ calls for a joint effort with the UK to prioritise the release of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai by sanctioning Hong Kong officials, prosecutors, and judges involved in national security law detentions.
- Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai filed an appeal against the High Court’s rejection of his attempt to challenge a national security committee decision which effectively barred a foreign lawyer from representing him.
- Journalist Bao Choy’s conviction for making false statements to access vehicle records was quashed after five judges ruled unanimously in favour of her appeal at the city’s top court. Her sentence was also set aside.
- Authorities will review the top court’s judgement that saw journalist Bao Choy’s conviction quashed to “improve” procedures related to accessing vehicle records, Chief Executive John Lee said.
- The District Court heard closing arguments in the trial against two former editors of now-defunct news outlet Stand News. The verdict will be handed down in October.
- The Court of Appeal blocked media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s bid to challenge a national security search warrant of his phones, which he said contained protected journalistic materials, at the city’s top court.
- The journalists’ association says it is looking to intervene in a legal bid by the government to ban all forms of the protest song Glory to Hong Kong, in the hopes of gaining an exemption for media reporting. A statement said the press group wants to “protect the work of journalists.”
- Citizens’ Radio, a pro-democracy pirate radio station, ceased operating on June 30 after its founder said the station’s bank account had been frozen.
- A prominent Chinese financial journalist who compared the country’s economic problems to the Great Depression was banned from social media.
- Hong Kong may drop plans for a “fake news” law, Chief Executive John Lee suggested, saying the problem can be tackled by other means.
July 2023
- Government-funded broadcaster RTHK suspended an LGBTQ-related radio programme after 17 years, the host of the programme said on its official Facebook page.
- The West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts received written closing statements in the trial against journalist Ronson Chan, who stands accused of obstructing a police officer.
- A court ruled that journalists will be allowed to report on matters related to 2019 protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong, should the government’s bid to ban unlawful acts relating to the song be successful.
- Authorities proposed that programmes about national education, national identity, and those which promote a “correct understanding” of the national security law could be exempt from an impartiality clause requiring “even-handedness” when opposing points of view are presented.
- The government watchdog rejected HKFP’s complaint against the Information Services Department over their handling of an unexplained media ban at press event, finding no evidence of maladministration.
- HKJA said Hong Kong’s press freedom index dipped further, largely due to journalists being hesitant to criticise the central government.
- A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) found that almost 70 per cent of journalists in Hong Kong say they have self-censored in their own writing.
- Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan claimed there was no conflict between the media’s journalistic work and the Beijing-imposed national security law.
- Japanese journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa, known for his coverage of Hong Kong’s protests, was barred from entering Hong Kong days before the 26th anniversary of its Handover to China.
- China’s representative intervened at the UN in an unsuccessful effort to stop the son of detained media tycoon Jimmy Lai from testifying.
August 2023
- US photojournalist Matthew Connors, who covered the 2019 protests and unrest, said that he was denied entry to Hong Kong when he tried to visit for tourism purposes.
- Press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders criticised the Hong Kong authorities after Swiss photojournalist Marc Progin was faced with HK$500,000 in legal costs despite being cleared of a public disorder charge.
- The national security trial of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai was delayed again to December, 2023 to ensure that one of the handpicked judges will have finished presiding over another landmark national security case involving 47 democrats.
- The HKJA said it will offer assistance to employees of local newspaper Sky Post, which will soon publish its final print edition.
September 2023
- The Communications Authority rejected complaints against a now-deleted RTHK documentary that examined the 2019 Yuen Long mob attacks.
- Sebastien Lai, the son of detained media mogul Jimmy Lai, spoke at an UN event on media freedom, as the government slammed the occasion as “political manipulation.”
- Ronson Chan, the head of the HKJA, was found guilty of obstructing a police officer while reporting last September and was sentenced to five days in prison before being granted bail pending appeal.
- The Court of Appeal heard the HKJA and the RTHK Staff Union’s joint appeal against the city’s communications regulator’s decision to issue a warning over RTHK’s satirical programme Headliner.
October 2023
- A Hong Kong judge called for an investigation after prosecutors claimed that video footage linked to a rioting case during the 2019 Yuen Long mob attacks had been released by an online media outlet ahead of the trial.
- Net satisfaction with press freedom in Hong Kong stood at negative 8 per cent, while 13 per cent of people believed the local news media had given full play to the freedom of speech, according to a PORI survey.
- Google received a request from the Hong Kong Police Force to remove 5 videos featuring “The Hong Konger“, a documentary about pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai from YouTube, a report read.
November 2023
- The verdict in the trial against two former editors of now-defunct news outlet Stand News was postponed again pending a higher court’s ruling, expected in 2024.
- The HKJA expressed “deep regret” that reporters were not allowed to interview attendees at an international finance summit organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
December 2023
- The HKJA raised concern after Japanese media reported that South China Morning Post (SCMP) reporter Minnie Chan had gone missing after a work trip to China. Responding to an enquiry from HKFP, SCMP said Chan was on personal leave concerning a private matter and also threatened legal action.
- The SCMP withdrew an opinion piece after being unable to verify the writer’s credentials.
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